Sansom to head National Theater of Scotland

Move follows departure of Vicky Featherstone

Helmer Laurie Sansom has been appointed a.d. of the National Theater of Scotland, following the departure of founder-director Vicky Featherstone, who takes up the helm at London’s Royal Court in spring 2013.

Sansom is a.d. of regional house Royal and Derngate Theater, Northampton, which won the inaugural Stage award of Regional Theater of the Year in 2010. His successes there included twinned productions of Tennessee Williams’ “Spring Storm” and Eugene O’Neill’s “Beyond the Horizon,” which won the TMA award for best director and transferred to London’s National Theater.

Since its launch in February 2006, the National Theater of Scotland has been a key player in the U.K. legit scene, creating 186 productions in 156 different locations. With no building of its own, the company takes work all over Scotland and internationally. Current productions include tours of “Beautiful Burnout,” a co-production with Frantic Assembly, and the multi-award-winning “Black Watch,” which is about to debut in Seoul. “The Monster in the Hall” opens shortly in Shanghai as part of a Chinese tour, and “The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart” is playing the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Future plans include a stage adaptation of “Let the Right One In,” based on the novel and screenplay of the cult Swedish romantic horror film by John Ajvide Lindquist, helmed by John Tiffany with associate direction by choreographer Steven Hoggett, who together created the eight Tony-winning “Once.”

Richard Findlay, chairman of the board said: “The board was unanimous in its selection of Laurie from a strong field of candidates. The net was spread across the U.K. and overseas so we had a wide and highly talented field to choose from.”

It has also been announced that Lucy Davies will join Featherstone at the Royal Court in the post of executive director. Currently the founding exec producer at National Theater Wales, she was formerly exec producer at the Donmar Warehouse, and head of Studio, the National Theater’s project development arm. In addition, she spent five years commissioning, developing and working on feature films.